The Ira Crystal
by LadyLinus
Summary: Parallel stories about Ash, Misty and Delia are told in this story as Ash and Misty are pulled into a centuries old curse. Can the teenagers keep their relationship as their lives are sent in separate directions? Also the reintroduction of Ash's father.
1. Chapter 1

_In most ways, it seemed like a normal day in Celedon City. There were birds chirping through the sky, children outside playing, and even trainers sharing tips and secrets outside of a café._

_But inside the Pokemon Center, Dee Bennett was in the midst of turmoil. She pulled her shoulder length auburn hair off of her neck in a haphazard bun as she paced from wall to wall in the cramped bathroom._

"_Please, please, please, please don't let it be positive," she pleaded to the god that looked out for sexually active teens, "I promise, if you make this all go away now, I'll be a really good mom in the future. But not now, I'm not old enough now."_

_The watch on her arm began to beep signaling that her wait was over, she took a deep breath as she stepped up to the counter and stared down._

_Gabe Michaels sat outside in the waiting room running his fingers through his glossy dark curls. His thoughts carried the same pleas as his girlfriend's as he waited to hear the verdict._

_Almost on queue, he heard a wail come from the inside of the bathroom causing everyone in the room to look toward the closed door. Sadly, he put his head in his hands. That's it, he was going to be a father._

_The door flung open and Dee came out, tears streaming down her cheeks. Wordlessly, Gabe jumped up from his seat and embraced her. She sobbed into his shoulder for a few moments before she finally attempted to speak._

"_Gabe, I-" but she was cut off by him kissing her softly._

"_I know," Gabe wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began to lead her toward the door, "Come on, let's go sit down somewhere and talk about this."_

_They found a 50's themed diner where they could talk privately but neither teenager knew how to start._

"_I think that the best course of action is to go to our parents and ask to get some money out of our trust funds and, you know, take care of it," Gabe finally said looking up from his half eaten burger._

"_What?" Dee asked incredulously, "We are not 'taking care of it'! At least not that way."_

"_What do you suppose we do, Dee? We can't raise a child, for god sakes you're only 16!"_

"_I know."_

"_We have no means of income or finding a home, what are we supposed to do? Move back in with our parents? We both swore we wouldn't do that."_

"_I know."_

"_Not to mention the fact that I'm a trainer, we're constantly moving around from town to town!"_

"_I know!" She yelled before lowering her voice, "I know, okay. I know that we can't have a baby, but it's not the baby's fault that it's parents were stupid enough to conceive it. Killing it isn't an option."_

"_Fine," he ran a hand through his hair, "then what's your plan?"_

"_Adoption, I guess. We'll need our parents' help, I don't even know how to begin going through that," Dee sighed._

"_So I guess the next step is telling our parents," he said picking up a fry and dipping it roughly into ketchup._

"_I guess so," Dee groaned._

_

* * *

  
_

Misty felt the chlorine in her hair begin to harden as she relaxed on the bleachers in the gym. This was the most boring time of year for a gym leader. All of the challengers already had their badges and most were training for the Indigo League Tournament beginning in a couple months.

It was times like these that she wished she didn't love being a gym leader so much. If she didn't, she could be traveling around with her boyfriend instead of seeing entirely too much of her sisters.

Speaking of her sisters, the eldest, Daisy walked in to the pool area. Her wavy blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and her blue-green eyes searched the room before finally spotting Misty's bright red hair.

"There you are!" Daisy exclaimed walking closer to her sister, "there's someone here who would like to work here for the summer."

Misty groaned and sat up, "We're not hiring interns this year! How many times do I have to tell people that?"

"I don't know little sis, but try not to scare this one too. I think the last kid practically wet himself," Daisy laughed remembering her baby sister's temper tantrum last time.

"No promises," she snapped walking out of the room and into the gym's rarely used front office.

"We're not hiring anyone this summer, maybe next year," she announced as she entered the room.

The person waiting turned around and smirked at her bikini clad appearance, "I love the way you greet me."

Misty's look of annoyance turned into glee as she shrieked, "Ash!" and leapt into his arms.

"Hey Mist, I missed you too," Ash laughed returning the hug.

She didn't care about the fact that Daisy was still leaning against the doorway, Misty tilted her head down and kissed Ash hard on the lips, "How long are you here for this time?" she asked once they parted.

"Uh, I was thinking the whole summer, I haven't gotten to spend much time with you, at least not without an audience," he glanced back at Daisy smiling.

"The whole summer? Really?" Misty was practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Yeah, the league I'm competing in now is small so they only have their tournament every other summer and, of course, I got all my badges on an off year."

"That's great, Ash, I'm glad you're finally taking the time to be with my little sister," Daisy smirked, "long distance relationships aren't very fun." Misty narrowed her eyes at her nosy older sister but Ash just stuck out his tongue playfully, "Tell you what, Misty, Vi, Lil and I will watch the gym today so you guys can catch up."

Misty's face lit up, "Are you sure?"

"Sure, it's pretty much dead anyway," Daisy shrugged, "You two have fun."

In an unusual display of affection, Misty hugged her sister on her way out of the room and towards the staircase. Ash began to follow her but was stopped by Daisy who pulled him into a loose hug.

"It is nice to see you again, we all miss having you around," she laughed.

"Oddly enough, I miss the Sensational Sisters too," Ash joked hugging her back. Once they separated, he began to moved toward the staircase as well when Daisy stopped him again.

"Mind yourself with my little sister, Ketchum," she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes Ma'am," Ash chuckled before making a dash upstairs to ensure that another one of Misty's sisters didn't catch him.

Once he reached her room, he was pulled in roughly and Misty shut the door behind him. Now that they were finally alone, he was free to give her a long slow kiss.

Misty moaned happily as they broke apart, "I've definitely missed that," she smiled.

Ash laughed as he took in her attire again, "I don't think it's fair, I'm more dressed than you are."

Misty joined his laughter, "I can put on a shirt if you'd like."

Ash's expression turned serious as he contemplated her proposal, "No…I think that would be going in the wrong direction," he evened the score by pulling his t-shirt over his head and tossing it on the floor.

"Hello abs," she giggled, putting her hands on his chest, "have you been working out?"

He frowned, "No, I'm naturally built like this."

"And it naturally comes out at 18? Cuz you certainly weren't like the last time I saw you."

"I don't question my genetics," he shrugged.

"Mmhmm," she nodded kissing him again and leading him toward her bed.

After awhile of that, and more clothes being discarded, Ash sighed, "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had sex?" he asked.

"If your answer is any length of time less than 8 months, I'm breaking up with you," Misty stated.

He laughed, "8 months! That's almost a year!"

"I'm very aware of how long it's been, I've had to wait too." Her smile disappeared, "I miss you when you're away."

He pulled himself closer to her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know, I miss you too. Are you sure you can't come with me again?"

"I like it here, I never thought I'd love the gym but I do and I can't imagine being anywhere else." She answered honestly.

Ash nodded, "That makes sense."

They sat for a few minutes unaware of what to say to each other. Then Misty began to smile.

"What did your mom say when you told her you were coming to see me on your first day home?" she asked sitting up and facing him.

Ash began to look guilty and he shifted his eyes away, "I actually haven't been home yet…" he trailed off.

"What?" she finally looked around and noticed something missing, "Wait, if you haven't gone home…where's Pikachu?"

"Probably roaming around town," Ash shrugged, "He ditched me at the door."

"Oh," a satisfied smile played on her lips, "You chose coming to see me over your mom? That's the first time you ever did that."

"Well…you're my girlfriend, I mean, Mom will understand, I think," he sighed, "Really it was an easy decision," Ash held his hands up as if he was a level, "did I want to have sex first or a home cooked meal? Sex wins."

Misty laughed, "So you would have been visiting me more often if I had put out sooner?"

He nodded, "I'm a man, Misty."

"Are you?"

Ash tackled her gently, pushing her back down onto the bed, "Don't be mean to me. I'm all man."

"I believe you," she whispered as he kissed her neck.

*****

"I'm hungry," Ash announced as he stood and began to put his clothes back on.

"You're leaving?" Misty asked from underneath her comforter.

"I'm hungry," he said again.

"Me too…kinda."

"Then let's go eat," he shook his head a little, "obviously we aren't going to find any food up here."

"Well aren't we a bit of a smart ass today?" she smirked following his lead and getting dressed.

He grabbed her hand as they walked downstairs giggling and kissing.

"Look who finally decided to emerge," Daisy laughed from her spot at the kitchen table.

"Oh, it's only been a couple hours," Ash waved the blonde's comment off as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda.

"Um," Daisy glanced at the clock, "try four hours."

"Really?" Ash exclaimed, shooting a look at Misty, "that's awesome! That's like…" his forehead wrinkled as he divided, "That's like a 23 minute average!"

"Oh!" Misty's face turned bright red as she punched Ash's arm.

"Dear God, Ash! That's my sister!" Daisy groaned.

He laughed and took a swig of his soda. He wasn't sure why he felt more comfortable around Misty's sisters than he did with Brock. Maybe it was the way Misty always reacted.

"I'm getting out of here before you two start going at it, will you be staying with us all night, Ash?" the blonde hesitated in the doorway.

"I haven't decided yet," Ash answered honestly.

"Well…keep it down," she threw one last smirk at her younger sister before jogging upstairs.

"Really? Twenty-three minutes?" Misty asked once they were alone. Ash nodded, "Good job!"

"Thank you," he grinned.

"Wait, does that twenty-three minutes include foreplay or without?"

"Includes, I am only human," Ash laughed.

Misty stuck out her tongue, "I thought you were all man?"

* * *

A/N: So here's my reasoning for writing this fic. I don't think that Ash's father is Giovanni...or Prof Oak. When I was 11 and still watching the anime, I was in love with Delia. I thought she was the greatest mom in the world, but I always felt that there was more to her than you see. So that stemmed me into thinking about what sort of backstory Delia had. Here's my attempt, with a side of Pokeshipping.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dee's fingers played with the hem of her shirt. She couldn't raise her head to meet her parent's gaze, or even to the side to Gabe. She was the youngest daughter, the second child. She grew up like her sister Electra, a spoiled princess, the apple of her father's eye. Then she met Gabe._

_Thomas Bennett knew that daughters grew up. He had always hoped for sons but his wife had given him two daughters and he knew that his job as a father was to provide everything they needed. But he had never intended to be wrapped so tightly around his youngest daughter's finger. Dee was everything a father could want, she played golf with him, and turned her nose up at the girly things her mother and sister had done. Even when she told him that she was going to travel with her boyfriend he had been proud. How many of his friends and business partners had such rough and tumble daughters?_

"_Daddy?" Dee's voice was soft as she finally looked up, "Daddy, please don't be mad. We didn't mean to."_

_Thomas' brown eyes, identical to his daughter's, stared into hers and then into Gabe's. The boy looked terrified, "Whether or not it was meant to happen, it happened, and we'll have to take care of it." _

"_I already- we decided what we want to do," Dee cleared her throat and sat up straighter, attempting to appear stronger, "I wanted to use some of the money in my trust fund, and Gabe's too, to pay for an adoption."_

_Gabe nodded blindly knowing that, even if he still didn't completely agree with her plan, they needed to appear united._

"_Absolutely not," Thomas' head shook, "I'm sorry, but that's out of the question."_

"_What?" the teenagers asked in unison._

"_Your families are very influential, do you think it would benefit anyone for a child born out of wedlock to be out there? And what if it finds you and wants money?" _

"_Daddy! That's not a likely outcome," Dee exclaimed._

"_But it could happen, and I'm not going to pay for your stupid mistakes. I will allow money to be taken from your trust fund, but only to get rid of it."_

"_I'm not getting rid of it," It was the most forceful that the sixteen-year-old had ever sounded. Gabe and Thomas both looked at her but with different expressions. Gabe was startled, but still had the hint of terror behind his eyes and Thomas looked angry, as if he would slap her at any second._

"_Delia, be reasonable," Calla, her mother pleaded._

"_I am being reasonable! He's not!" she burst out, but at one look from her father her voice lowered, "I can't kill it. It doesn't feel right, it's not the baby's fault that I'm sixteen. I'd rather know that it has a good and loving family to take care of it."_

"_That's very noble, "Calla tried another tactic, "But you have to think of how we feel, what if people found out? Your friends would make it so difficult for you."_

_Dee's jaw dropped and she saw her parents for the first time for who they really were, "Is that all you care about? How this makes you look?" Gabe placed his hand on her knee but she shook her head and stood, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to get rid of it. Maybe we'll just…" Dee trailed off, as if trying to find the right words, "Maybe we'll just raise it ourselves!"_

_She said it as a challenge, not an intention, but Thomas Bennett was not a man to play chicken with. He laughed loudly at his teenaged daughter and her expression faltered._

"_Oh yeah? And how do you intend to care for a child? Are you going to work? Is Gabe? Where are you going to live? You can't afford a home here."_

_Dee flinched at every question, obviously she had thought he would be scared enough by the thought of his child being a mother that he would see things her way. She looked around the room, her gaze finally landing on Gabe. He was still sitting in his spot on the sofa, a terrified expression frozen to his face._

"_Gabe's parents will help us, they are reasonable people, unlike you two," she crossed her arms over her chest._

_Thomas gave his daughter the same look, "Go ahead."_

"_Come on, Gabe," Dee turned on her heel and walked out of the sitting room without even checking to see if her boyfriend followed._

"_What exactly are you asking?" Jeffrey asked looking at his son._

"_Well," Gabe swallowed the lump in his throat and glanced at Dee, "she…Dee and I are saying that if you won't allow us to take money out of my trust fund to pay for adoption, we'll be forced to raise the baby on our own."_

_The older man sighed and put his thumb and index finger against his temple. He always knew his youngest son would be trouble. Gabriel was the late in life, surprise child, born when their older two were in college. He was doted on by his mother as if he were an only child, she would be more than happy to sweep this ordeal under the rug for him. But luckily, Sarah was away with friends and unable to step in at her son's defense. Maybe it was time for Gabe to learn a lesson in consequences._

"_Let me make some phone calls and I'll let you know my decision tonight, Delia, will you be staying here or going home?" Jeffrey stood and motioned that the teenagers should as well._

"_Uh, here please," Dee suddenly sounded as apprehensive as Gabe had._

"_Very well, I'll see you both at dinner," he nodded toward the door and Gabe couldn't leave any faster._

Ash's annoyance grew as Brock called a fifth time. "What?" he asked by way of a greeting. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were going to Cerulean City," Brock exclaimed in response. "What does that have to do with anything?" "I called your house," Brock explained, "your phone was turned off and I didn't think anything of it so I just called your house." Ash's expression fell as realization hit him, "Mom knows I went to see Misty first?" "You didn't know?" Brock sounded shocked. Misty watched a blush creep up on Ash's cheeks as he replied, "I haven't been home yet..." "you haven't-" Brock inhaled deeply as he gathered his thoughts, "I don't know whether to be excited for you or punch you the next time I see you. I suppose that's what I get for being friends with both of you." "Hey, what I do isn't any of your business," Ash glared ahead, the blush growing deeper. "Should I go back to my house?" Misty asked as Ash hung up his phone. "No, she already knows I was with you, it'll upset her more if you don't come."

They walked in silence as Ash wondered how he was going to talk himself out of this one.

The walk from Cerulean City to Pallet Town wasn't a bad one. The Viridian Forest was the only real obstacle, but both Ash and Misty had walked through it enough times that they knew the quickest ways to get out. The duo had left early in the morning and arrived in Pallet Town at dusk, stopping only for a couple hours in Viridian City for lunch and to rest.

"Ash?" Misty asked as they walked along the dirt road leading out of the main part of Pallet Town, "Are you worried?"

He looked over at her and smiled, "About Mom? Nah, I don't think she'll jump to the same conclusion as Brock…" Misty had a strange expression on her face so he quickly amended his statement, "Not that I'm ashamed or anything, it's just that she's my mom…."

Misty laughed a little, "I understand, it's not like I wanted my sisters to know…they're just nosy."

Ash stopped walking and looked up. He could see Prof Oak's observatory in the distance and the tiny spot that was his home not far from it. He would be home in no more than ten minutes. He heard Misty's footsteps stop behind him but she didn't say anything. Sometimes Ash felt bad that Misty and his mother had to share him. He wished that he could come home without anyone knowing, so he could spend time with both of them.

"Are you okay?" Misty asked softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Ash answered by kissing her softly, holding his hands tightly on her waist. He didn't pull away for a long time, but when he did, she smiled, "What was that for?"

"No reason, just wanted to," he grabbed her hand and they started walking again, this time slower than before.

But even stalling, they still made it to his front yard in a short amount of time. Ash let go of Misty's hand almost immediately and quickened his pace, despite his hesitation before, he was excited to see his mother and sleep in his own bed.

"Pika!" he heard from the side yard. Ash stopped in his tracks and turned around. The yellow mouse was sitting on the fence smiling at them.

"Hey buddy! I was wondering where you had gotten to," he laughed running over and petting Pikachu on the head.

"I was beginning to wonder where you were," his mother's voice laughed as she walked over from her garden to join them, "Hello, Misty. I feel like I see you as much as I see Ash these days."

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty smiled, her cheeks coloring a little. She used to come to Pallet Town to visit Delia all the time when Ash was traveling. But since they had started dating, it had seemed weird for a reason that Misty couldn't explain.

The older woman didn't seem to notice the tension in the air as both teens hoped she didn't ask anymore questions.

"Well, lucky for you two, you're in time for me to make you a home cooked meal, something I'm sure neither of you has had in awhile," she grinned, opening the gate and motioning them inside the yard, "I'm just glad you had Brock with you this time, Ash, at least I know you didn't eat too terribly."

"I can take care of myself you know, I make good choices!" Ash exclaimed indignantly.

The two women glanced at each other and started laughing, "If you had it your way, you'd eat nothing but cheeseburgers!" Misty giggled.

"A cheeseburger can be plenty healthy, it had vegetables, grains, and meat. That's three food groups right there. Four! Because tomatoes are fruits now," he stuck his tongue out as they continued laughing.

"Well, I'll make you something good for dinner tonight, not greasy or fried," Delia nodded as the laughter died down.

"That's why I love coming home," Ash sighed, looking genuinely happy. He placed an arm around Misty's shoulders and led her inside with Pikachu following at their heels.


	3. Chapter 3

_Gabe hadn't spoken to her since the dinner with his father. Dee still couldn't believe that her plan hadn't worked. What sort of fathers doomed their children to something as lifelong as parenthood?_

_She watched him from behind as they walked down the dusty path, his hands were clenched into fists at his side and his hair was disheveled. _

"_Gabe?" she asked quietly, but there was no answer so she tried again, "Gabe, I'm sorry. I'm not happy about this either."_

_He turned around and glared at her, "Really, Dee, you're not happy? I'm sorry but I don't really give a damn how you feel right now."_

"_That's not fair," she cried out, "This isn't what I expected or wanted."_

_The fire in his eyes was obvious as he started to walk towards her. Gabe had never scared her so badly before, Dee kept her eyes on his but backed away until she felt herself come against a tree._

"_Usually he does what I want," she mumbled tearing her gaze away._

"_Are you kidding me?" Gabe laughed, but meanly and placed his palm above her head against the tree, "you think you're so convincing, that you can bend men to your will like a woman, but you're just a little girl!"_

_His expression changed to one of sadness as he looked at her again, "God, you're just a kid."_

"_I'm not that much younger than you…" she protested._

"_Chronologically, 3 years isn't much, but between 16 and 19, it's a lot."_

"_I'm not so naïve."_

"_You thought threatening to raise your child would scare them into doing what you wanted, you didn't realize the influential men you were playing with. And now you've ruined both our lives," he caught the tears in her eyes and his expression softened, "I love you, Dee. I'm gonna stand by you, but I'm not going to lie and say that I'm happy with the way things turned out."_

_They stood there quietly for a few moments, but Gabe quickly became aware of Dee's body shaking with sobs and wrapped his arms around her._

"_I'm sorry," he soothed, as he stroked her hair, "I shouldn't have said anything."_

_She pushed him away and started walking ahead without saying a word. The pair walked in silence for the next 20 minutes, Gabe's footsteps were the only indication that Dee wasn't alone. _

"_We should probably stop soon, you need to eat and rest, right? For the baby?" Gabe asked almost hesitantly._

"_I don't know. Maybe we should just keep going, if I starve myself the baby and I will both die and you'll be rid of all your problems," she didn't slow her pace down as she responded._

"_Delia!" Gabe exclaimed._

"_Don't call me that," Dee turned on her heel to glare at him, "Don't treat me like a child, you've made it very clear that this is my mess. You wanted me to have an abortion and pretend it didn't happen, just like our parents. I'm sorry that I can't do that, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had. I'm not happy, but I'm willing to make the best of the situation I'm in. This is my child." her expression softened slightly but she caught herself and glared again, "this is our child, yours and mine, but if you don't want to be here then don't be. I'm not going to live the rest of my life with you reminding me that I ruined yours. If you have something better to do then just go. I'm sure whatever job your father lined up for you in this stupid dump town, I can do myself."_

_Gabe didn't say anything, she was offering him an out and he was conflicted about whether or not to take it._

"_But if you decide to stay with me, you're in it for the long run. If you stay, you're a dad and that's a forever job. So whatever anger you have toward me now, you need to get over it because I won't have you making me feel guilty for keeping my baby."_

_He took a step towards her then hesitated again, but only briefly before closing the gap between them, "I'm in. It may not be my first choice, but I won't let you do it alone. Like you said, the baby is mine too."_

_Dee let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding and allowed him to embrace her. _

"_I love you," he whispered into her hair._

Delia watched with interest as Ash pulled blankets from the linen closet and Misty spread them out on the floor in a makeshift bed. She wondered how long they were going to play this part.

They were 18, she had been 18 once before, and by the time Delia was their age Ash was a year old. She knew what teenagers did, as much as she didn't want to admit that her son had grown up. Neither of them had any intention of sleeping on the floor.

Misty looked up and caught her eye, a light blush spreading over her nose as she smiled sheepishly. She had always been the smarter of the two teens, that was the main reason Delia had been so happy to have her traveling with Ash. And when Misty came back to Kanto to take care of the family gym, she had gotten to know her as a young woman, the daughter she never had.

"So, you're going to be home for the summer?" Delia asked as nonchalantly as she could manage.

Ash nodded, brushing past her with another armful of blankets, "that's okay right?" The question was more of a formality than legitimate. Ash knew that his mother would never object to having him home she would cry with joy if he told her that he wasn't going to travel at all.

"Of course," she smiled confirming what her son already knew, "And Misty, how long will you be staying with us?" It was innocent enough but Delia caught the hesitation as Ash and Misty glanced at each other. Neither one willing to say the answer but not wanting to deny it either.

"Um…" Misty avoided eye contact with Delia briefly before smiling, "until my sisters can't handle the gym without me. So you know, a couple days."

The older woman returned her smile, "Good, I've missed seeing you. Have a good night." She turned to leave and then hesitated. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Waffles," Ash's answer came without thought. He was a boy who spent the weeks leading up to a visit home making a list of what he wanted to eat.

The bedroom door closed but Ash and Misty waited a few seconds before speaking.

"So, do you want the bed or the floor?" Misty asked with a smile.

Ash shook his head and laughed kneeling down in front of her showering her with kisses, "Don't be stupid."

Misty exhaled softly and turned onto her side as the screen on Ash's phone lit up the dark room. He carefully removed his arm from under her and propped himself up on his elbows. He groaned a little, tomorrow morning he'd pay for sleeping on the floor.

Ash picked up his cell phone from his bed and squinted as he tried to focus on the screen.

_**So I guess you and Misty are getting serious?**_

He sighed, Brock. The older friend used to be the one that both Ash and Misty ran to when they had a problem or just to share news. But he guessed that neither one of them was confiding in him now that they had each other

_**Yeah, I guess. It's not really a big deal, we have been dating for 3 years. **_He responded.

_**I may have overreacted earlier, sorry. I know it's none of my business, I just feel left out lately. **_

_**I know. I'm sorry too. But we're not kids anymore, we're adults. **_

_**Hard to believe, I still think of both of you as dorky little kids. When did you grow up?**_

Ash laughed quietly, _**It surprised me too.**_

"Who are you texting?" Misty groaned sleepily from beside him.

"Brock, he's concerned that we're growing up."

Misty sat up and kissed his cheek, "We grew up awhile ago," she pushed the phone out of his hand and kissed him harder on the lips.

Ash moaned and pulled her into his lap, "Growing up is fun. I used to be afraid of it, it seemed like there was so much responsibility. But things are easy with you. It's like nothing really changed."

"Are you kidding me? Everything has changed," she giggled, "things have to change. It's part of getting older."

He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her down next to him on the floor. He didn't want to hear about change, he just wanted things the way they were.


	4. Chapter 4

_Gabe raked the leaves that had scattered around the tiny front lawn. The rest of the town was bustling as much as a tiny town does. Saturdays were the days when Pallet Town seemed to come alive, most everyone residing there would commute out to bigger cities on weekdays to work leaving the town quiet and empty._

_"Is she back yet?" A voice asked from the other side of the white picket fence._

_Gabe's attention was stolen by the very pregnant woman leaning against the fence dividing the property of the cottage with Professor Oak's lab. Anna Oak had become fast friends with Dee, both women were expecting, although Anna was married and this was her second child. Gabe knew that he should be glad Dee had found someone to talk to but he couldn't help being jealous of the attention she took from him. He also didn't like the fact that Anna seemed to make his business her own._

_"Not yet, she said it would be awhile." he answered going back to his chore._

_"And you didn't go with her?" Anna pressed further with a smirk._

_"She didn't want me to," he lied. Dee had actually begged him to go along with her to this appointment but Gabe shook her off, mumbling something about things he had to do around the house. He was still having a hard time finding enthusiasm for baby stuff._

_"Are you excited? You'll finally get to know what the baby is, boy or girl." she sighed softly, "I hope it's a girl. A pretty little girl so Gerald has someone to marry."_

_Gabe rolled his eyes as she giggled, "Besides, May was such an easy baby. What about you Gabe, what would you like?"_

_He shrugged, " I don't really care. A boy, I guess. I wouldn't know what to do with a girl."_

_She nodded then her eyes lit up, "Dee! How'd it go?"_

_Gabe turned to look toward town and saw his girlfriend walking up to the house. She looked tired with one hand on her tiny stomach bump and the other carrying her purse._

_Anna was practically bouncing with excitement, "What is it? A girl? Tell me it's a girl!"_

_Dee smiled softly, "I think I should talk to Gabe first, I'll call you later?"_

_Anna nodded, "Of course! And we can go shopping!" Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked back toward her home on the other side of the plantation._

_"How are you?" he asked without stopping the rake._

_"I'm fine, the baby's fine too, even though you didn't ask," she sighed sitting down on the front step._

_"Dee," he groaned, "You knew what I meant."_

_She didn't answer, just put her chin in her hands and watched him bag up the pile of leaves and walk over to her._

_"What sounds good for dinner?" he leaned against the porch railing._

_"I don't know, I'm not that hungry. Maybe just a salad."_

_They fell into a tense silence before Dee spoke slowly, "It's a boy."_

_"Yeah?" he tried to put some life in his response but he knew that she saw right through it._

_"Yeah, I was thinking about names on the way home." she hesitated briefly then continued, "I kinda assumed it would be a girl, I don't know why. So I hadn't put any thought into boy names. Have you?"_

_Gabe shook his head and sat next to her, "Honestly, I haven't thought about much. It still doesn't feel very real."_

_"If you went to a doctor appointment with me it would. You get to hear the heartbeat and see the ultrasound. Pretty soon I'll be huge and it'll be hard for you to pretend this isn't happening."_

_"I'm not trying to pretend it isn't happening, it's just a lot."_

_"I gave you a choice," she whispered, "I told you that if you didn't think you could do this then you could disappear and you chose to stay. You decided for yourself and now you need to deal with it."_

_He leaned over and kissed her cheek, "You're right, I'm sorry. So, a boy?"_

_Dee smiled and nodded, "Yeah, a boy, I don't know what to do with a boy but it'll be easier for you I guess."_

_"Yeah, and you were thinking of names?"_

_"Boy names are hard. We could name him after someone, my father or yours. Or we could name him after you." she shrugged._

_Gabe laughed, "God no! I couldn't possibly stick the poor kid with the name Gabriel Alan, especially Gabriel Alan Jr. but I could be okay with Thomas, Thomas Michaels."_

_"Thomas Micheals," Dee rolled the name around her tongue and placed a hand on her stomach, "Maybe, we still have a few months to decide."_

Misty groaned, squeezing her eyes shut against the morning sunlight, and rolled onto her back. The creak of the mattress caught her attention and she sat up.

"When did I move onto the bed?" she asked aloud. A quick glance around the room proved that she was alone and had slept in a considerable amount. She gave herself one last stretch and yawn before pulling the blanket off of her and walking to her bag.

Walking back into Ash's bedroom after her shower, she was surprised that she still hadn't come in contact with her boyfriend. Misty folded up the blankets on the floor and put her pajamas in the hamper by the door then walked downstairs.

She was greeted by Delia and a plate piled high with homemade waffles with bacon and scrambled eggs on separate smaller plates.

"Good morning," Delia sang, "did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Misty nodded sitting down at the table and glancing at the other empty spaces.

"Where's Ash?" she asked.

The older woman sat down on the opposite side of the table with a cup of coffee, "Gary showed up right after he ate and they took off somewhere. They aren't usually in town at the same time." she smiled.

Misty's expression fell briefly, if Delia didn't know where they had gone she didn't have a way of catching up. But she realized that she was being selfish, Ash saw his mother and hometown friends just as little as he saw Misty. At least, as his girlfriend, she got phone calls and letters that she could assume Gary didn't receive.

"What are you doing today?" Misty asked with a grin.

Delia looked surprised, "I was just going to clean around the house, but if you'd like, we could drive to Viridian City to do some shopping?"

The redhead nodded, "That sounds like fun."

It was easy to forget that Delia owned a car, since Misty saw her leave Pallet Town so little, but they were packed into the tiny Beetle as soon as she had finished eating and on their way.

Misty wasn't entirely sure how they ended up in the high end department store. She couldn't imagine Delia shopping here regularly, and Misty avoided anywhere her sisters frequented. Yet here she stood, flipping idylly through a rack of sundresses.

She stopped briefly on a royal blue dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and flared out over the hips, upon closer inspection she saw that it was covered in off white dots.

"Do you like it?" Delia walked up behind her causing Misty to jump a little.

"Uh...yeah, it's pretty, simple," she smiled.

"Try it on." The brunette pulled the dress off the rack and ushered it and the teenager to the fitting rooms.

"Delia, I don't wear dresses," Misty protested from the other side of the fitting room door.

"Well, obviously you wouldn't wear the same dresses as your sisters. You wouldn't see Violet in this would you?" She reasoned.

"No..." Misty groaned. Delia expected more arguing but the other girl fell silent.

"What's wrong?" She asked with alarm. For the first time she worried that maybe she had been wrong. Delia started to second guess the specific blue of the dress. Maybe the hem was too long? Or too short?

The door opened slowly and Misty stepped out, hesitantly looking at her reflection in the mirror on the wall. She wasn't breath-taking, this wasn't a magic dress that made you taller, thinner and glow from within. But it was a pretty dress, the shade of blue stood out against her pale skin and made her eyes a little brighter. The cut hinted at an hourglass figure that the girl didn't possess on her own.

"What do you think?" Delia asked even though the young girl's face said everything.

"I like it, it's..." she shook her head unable to come up with a word. All her life, her older sisters and grandmother would force her into large frilly dresses that were confining and made it impossible to go to the bathroom in. It had never occured to her that dresses could be comfortable and flattering too.

"Buy it! Buy it! You have to!"

"I don't know, I don't have a lot of extra money, and I don't really have anything that would go with it..." Misty trailed off twisting slightly and admiring the girl in the mirror.

"I'll buy it, grab your clothes from the room but keep the dress on. I'll meet you in shoes," Delia announced before turning on her heel and marching off into the sea of designer clothing.

The red head opened her mouth to say something then shut it again and shook her head, turning back into the fitting room to grab her discarded clothes.

*Beep Beep Beep*

Misty jumped as her phone broke the near silence. She dug the device out of the pocket in her jeans and smiled when she saw the familiar three letters.

"Hey!"

"Where are you?" Ash exclaimed, "Gary and I came back to get you and the car's gone. And you're gone and so is Mom! Mom is always home!"

"Since you boys ditched me this morning she asked if I'd like to go shopping," Misty laughed.

"Oh..." there was a slight scuffling on the other end as Ash said something to Gary and Gary responded, "I know, I'm going to." he sighed and was back, "When do you think you'll be back?"

"I don't know, I'm supposed to be meeting your mom in the shoe department. Why?"

"Gary's sister is having a party, and she's dying to meet you. Wanna go?"

She could hear Gary laughing in the background, "Gary's sister? May..."

Ash didn't notice the hesitation in her voice so he continued, "Yeah, she's my friend too but I almost never see her when I'm in town. Plus some of my other friends will be there, it sounds fun right?"

"Yeah," Misty said slowly, "Yeah, I want to meet her too."

"Cool, then I'll see you when you get home." And with a click he was gone.

Misty rolled her eyes and gave herself one last glance in the mirror before grabbing her stack of clothes and walking out into the store.

$359.99 later, Misty wasn't sure how she felt. She did love the dress, and Delia insisted on delicate golden ballerina flats and a gold "M" pendant. She wouldn't have chosen a single item for herself but the package looked natural.

"Thank you, for the dress," Misty smiled as the car pulled into the Ketchums' driveway. "And the shoes, and the necklace."

"You're very welcome, I haven't had a girl to shop for since May Oak was little."

"May Oak," Misty frowned a bit, "What's she like?"

Delia thought for a second, "She's nice, a sweet girl. But she's a little flighty, not as serious about her future as Ash or Gary."

Misty was quiet and turned her head toward the passenger window. She could see Ash and Gary sitting in the side yard talking but neither boy had noticed the car.

"Ash used to like her," she played with the hem of her skirt absentmindedly.

The older woman nodded in understanding, "He did, she was one of the only girls he ever spent any time with. But that was a long time ago, before he left home."

When Misty didn't respond, Delia continued, "He liked her, before her knew what liking a girl actually meant. He loves you."

She laughed loudly, clutching the seat, "Yeah, but we haven't said that yet. I mean, I know, at least I think I do. As much as you can know that someone loves you when they haven't told you that they love you." Misty fell silent and bit her bottom lip.

Delia pulled her into a tight hug, "He's not very good at articulating his feelings. But he will, maybe you should say it first?"

Misty pulled away slowly and opened the door, "I'm tired of being the one to do things first, it's his turn." She stood up and smoothed the skirt of her dress, "Thank you again, for the outfit." she called before running off toward Ash and Gary.

* * *

A/N: So...that took a really long time...sorry about that. I'm trying to work on all of the stories I have uncompleted but with work and life I can't always do much. But I want you to know that I am still working.


	5. Chapter 5

_Dee __sat __in __the __air__-__conditioned __living __area __in __Prof __Oak__'__s __laboratory __cradling __the __newborn __infant __in __her __arms__._

"_He__'__s __perfect__," __she __breathed __taking __in __his __short __dark __brown __strands __and __eyes __such __a __dark __blue __that __they __were __almost __black__._

"_Anna__, __he__'__s __amazing__, __I __can__'__t __believe __someone __could __be __so __tiny__," __Dee __looked __up __to __smile __at __her __friend__._

"_Yours __will __be __just __as __tiny__," __Anna __laughed __while __her __eyes __stayed __fixed __on __May __playing __on __the __floor__._

"_February __still __seems __so __far __away__, __but __at __the __same __time __it __feels __like __I__'__ve __been __pregnant __forever__."_

_The __older __woman __nodded __and __studied __Dee__'__s __expression __for __a __second__, "__Have __you __guys __given __any__more __thought __to __what __you__'__ll __name __him__?"_

_She __shook __her __head__, "__We __can__'__t __really __agree __on __anything__."_

"_And __how__'__s __Gabe__?"_

"_He__'__s__..." __Dee __hesitated__, __attempting __to __gather __her __thoughts__, "__he__'__s __been __paying __a __lot __more __attention __to __baby __things __but__, __I __can__'__t __help __but __wait __for __the __other __shoe __to __drop__."_

_Anna __nodded __slowly__, "__Isaac __was __the __same __way__, __until __Maylee __was __born__. __I __think __it__'__s __just __fear__. __Gabe __will __come __around__."_

_Dee __didn__'__t __respond__, __instead __focusing __her __attention __on __the __infant __she __was __holding__. __Gerald __Isaac __Oak __was __a __stunning __baby__. __He __had __taken __most __of __his __genetics __from __his __mother__, __the __dark __brown __hair __and __blue __eyes __where __his __older __sister __had __lighter __features__, __the __same __sand __colored __hair __as __her __father __and __grandfather __and __very __unique __green __eyes__. __She __wondered __what __her __child __would __look __like__. __Would __he __have __her __auburn __hair __and __brown __eyes__? __Or __Gabe__'__s __dark __curls __and __emerald __eyes__? __He __could __even __possibly __be __born __with __the __same __blonde __hair __and __ice __blue __eyes __as __Dee__'__s __mother __and __sister__. __She __couldn__'__t __conjure __an __image __in __her __head __for __any __of __the __scenarios__, __she __still __wasn__'__t __able __to __see __herself __as __a __mother__. _

_Truthfully__, __the __idea __terrified __her__. __Motherhood __wasn__'__t __something __she __had __been __sure __about __wanting __at __all__, __but __now __with __it __thrust __upon __her__, __she __was __even __less __sure __that __she __could __be __a __good __mother__. __Dee __knew __that __she __had __been __spoiled __as __a __child __and __it __left __her __with __a __selfish __streak__, __the __same __streak __that __made __her __take __off __for __God__-__knows__-__where __with __Gabe__, __and __made __her __challenge __her __father__'__s __decision __that __she __should __have __an __abortion__. _

_While __she __still __thought __she __had __made __the __right __choice__, __she __struggled __with __the __realization __that __she __hadn__'__t __gone __about __it __the __right __way__. __Gabe __was __right __to __be __mad __at __her__, __she __had __gone __her __own __way __and __dragged __him __along __with __her__. __Maybe __that__'__s __why __she __woke __up __every __morning __and __sighed __with __relief __when __she __realized __that __he __was __still __there__, __as __if __she __had __spent __the __entire __night __holding __her __breath__._

_The __brunette __was __ripped __out __of __her __inner __reflection __when __the __baby __in __her __arms __started __to __cry __loudly__, __his __tiny __face __turning __red __with __the __effort__. __Her __eyes __widened __in __terror __and __she __held __the __infant __away __from __her __and __toward __Anna__._

"_No__," __Anna __smiled __and __shook __her __head__, "__Soothe __him__, __it__'__ll __be __good __practice__."_

_Dee __glanced __at __Gary __and __then __shot __Anna __one __last __pleading __look __before __pulling __him __against __her __chest __and __slowly __stroking __his __back__. _

_**Stand**__**up**__**. **__Anna __mouthed __to __her __knowing __that __Dee __wouldn__'__t __hear __her __over __Gary__'__s __screams __that __were __getting __increasingly __louder__. __She __stood __and __looked __at __Anna __again__, __silently __asking __her __what __to __do__. __Anna __put __her __arms __in __a __cradling __position __and __motioned __for __Dee __to __rock __the __baby__. _

_She __awkwardly __started __to __sway __back __and __forth__, __still __holding __Gary __against __her __chest__. __Much __to __her __disbelief__, __his __cries __softened __to __whimpers __and __then __stopped __altogether __as __his __eyelids __drooped__._

"_It __worked__," __she __whispered__._

"_I __told __you__, __you__'__re __a __natural__." __Anna __smiled __at __her__._

_She __didn__'__t __respond __right __away __but __stopped __rocking __and __held __the __infant __tighter__._

"_How __do __you __know__?"_

"_How __do __I __know __what__?" __Anna __asked__._

"_How __do __you __know__...__that __I __can __do __this__?" __Her __eyes __locked __onto __Anna__'__s __but __she __didn__'__t __get __an __answer __as __Gabe __and __Professor __Oak __walked __into __the __room__._

_Even though they lived on his property, Dee rarely saw the Professor in person. He wasn't as old as she felt a world renowned professor should be, only in his mid 40's, with slight wrinkles around his eyes and lips and streaks of __gray__ dotting his golden brown hair. _

_Her __gaze __fell __on to __her __boyfriend__. __Gabe __was __staring __at __her __with __a __strange __expression __on __his __face__, __one __she __wasn__'__t __sure __she __had __ever __seen __before__. __His __eyes __were __darker __than __normal__, __she __might __even __call __them __calculating__, __as __if __she __could __see __his __thoughts __forming __even __if __she __wasn__'__t __sure __what __they __were__. __And __the __corners __of __his __mouth __were __turned __up __in __a __slight __smile__, __one __that __widened __when __his __eyes __met __hers__._

"_Ah__, __good __afternoon __ladies__," __Professor __Oak __smiled __as __he __kissed __the __top __of __May__'__s __head__, "__We __didn__'__t __interrupt __anything __did __we__?"_

_Anna __laughed __and __gently __transferred __Gary __into __her __own __arms__, "__You __know __us__, __just __girl __talk__."_

"_I __was __just __telling __Gabe __that __it __was __such __a __nice __day__, __he __should __take __the __rest __of __the __afternoon __off __to __spend __with __you__." __He __turned __his __attention __to __Dee__, "__You __don__'__t __have __a __lot __more __time __for __it __to __be __just __the __two __of __you__."_

"_Thank __you__, __Professor__." __Dee __smiled __hesitantly__, __unsure __of __what __Gabe __and __she __could __possibly __do __with __an __afternoon __to __themselves__._

"_Call __me __Sam__."_

"_It__'__s __fascinating __really__, __to __think __that __there __are __so __many __countries __out __there __that __we __haven__'__t __even __studied__. __Species __of __Pokemon __that __have __never __been __discovered__!" __Dee __hadn__'__t __seen __Gabe __this __animated __about __anything __in __months__. __She __nodded __along __as __he __spoke__, __not __really __absorbing __anything __he __was __saying__. __He __really __was __trying __lately__, __Dee __didn__'__t __feel __the __tension __between __them __anymore__, __she __could __even __say __that __they __had __been __floating __back __to __themselves__. __It __wasn__'__t __perfect__, __but __it __was __better__._

"_What __about __you__? __It __was __weird __to __see __you __holding __Anna__'__s __baby __today__," __she __raised __an __eyebrow __and __he __laughed, __amending __his __statement__. "__Not __bad __weird__, __just __weird__."_

"_I __know__, __it __was __weird __to __hold __Gary__. __But __he__'__s __so __sweet__, __I __just __hope __our __baby __is __as __easy __as __Gary__."_

"_He __will __be__," __Gabe__'__s __face __turned __serious__. "__I__'__m __so__...__proud __of __you__. __To __give __up __everything __you __gave __up __and __move __here __all __for __this __baby__, __this __person __that __you __hadn__'__t __even __met __yet__." __He __pushed __his __chair __away __from __the __table __and __walked __over __to __her__, "__I __love __you__, __Delia__. __I__'__m __sorry __I __don__'__t __always __act __like __it__, __but __I __do__."_

"_I __love __you __too__." __She __whispered __standing __up __to __meet __him__. _

_Gabe __put __his __hands __on __either __side __of __her __face __and __studied __her __for __a __few __seconds__, __Dee __couldn__'__t __help __the __tears __that __started __rolling __down __her __cheeks__. "__What__'__s __wrong__?" __he __asked__._

_She __shook __her __head__, "__Nothing__, __I __just__ -" __he __cut __her __off__, __kissing __her __deeply__, __almost __hungrily__. __And __for __a __terrifying __moment__, __Dee __felt __like __this __was __the __end__._

Misty had just arranged her last outfit choice on Ash's bed when she heard the shower turn off. Her eyes swept through them all quickly and then once again at a slower pace. Those shorts with that tank top? Should she even wear a tank top? Or maybe something a little nicer? She wasn't sure why the outfit she wore to May Oak's house party was important, she wished her sisters were here to explain it to her. And to pick her outfit for her.

The door opened to her right and Ash walked in wearing just a pair of jeans, his hair still dripping down his neck and forehead.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he walked up next to her and surveyed the scene.

"Trying to figure out what to wear," she turned to him and caught his confused expression. "I don't know, I just want to make a good impression." Misty laughed.

Ash was quiet for a moment, studying her and then the contents of the bed. "Wear this." He pointed at the sundress she was still wearing from Delia. "And this." his fingers plucked a white cardigan out of the mess of clothes.

"Really?" She asked, surprised not only that he had an opinion but that his opinion consisted of the girliest things she owned.

"Yeah, I like it. Plus there will be a lot of people so it'll be warm, you don't want to wear too much." He walked over to his own closet and pulled out a green t-shirt. "You said Mom bought it for you?"

Misty nodded, shrugging into the cardigan, and began gathering up the rest of her clothes.

"I think she wishes she'd had a girl. You know, since she was alone." Ash didn't mention his absent father often, and whenever he did it was just a passing comment like this one. Misty asked about him only once, and Ash had closed the conversion quickly saying he couldn't miss what he never had.

"Don't be ridiculous, she loves you." Misty waved his comment away with a laugh.

"Oh, I know that. But I wasn't an easy kid."

"You're not easy now," she smirked folding the last shirt and setting it in her suitcase.

He laughed, walked over and kissed her gently, then glanced at the clock, "We should probably head over."

She nodded and took his head as he led her out of his room.

"What's your poison?" Gary asked standing behind the makeshift bar in his sister's kitchen. Misty looked at the assortment of bottles, most of which she couldn't name.

"Uh...I don't know, I've never really had anything other than wine or champagne." she shrugged.

Gary laughed, grabbed a glass and started pouring different liquids into it, "You're so high society."

"I'm not!" She protested, "besides, what about you? Grandson of Professor Oak, I've seen you at all the same league functions."

"Oh sure, I look good in a tux but I'm still small town. The craziest thing you've ever done was run around with Ash for a few years." Misty opened her mouth to respond but just shook her head as Gary handed her a shocking blue drink.

She eyed it suspiciously but brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. She blanched at the strong taste of alcohol making Gary laugh loudly "Just chug this, I swear everything after it will taste better."

"What is in this?" Misty asked still making a face.

"Alcohol, drink it." She stared at him until he sighed heavily and started pouring the same liquids into another glass, "Fine, count of three. One, two, three." They both tipped their glasses up to their lips and downed the beverage as fast and they could. Misty was coughing as soon as she set the empty glass down and Gary winced shaking his head.

"Where's your boyfriend?" He asked her pouring another drink for each of them.

"I dunno, he wandered off as soon as we got here, these are his friends after all." Misty had a thought, "Yours too, right? Why are you hiding out in the kitchen?"

"I'm not hiding, I see these people all the time. Plus, ever since I was a kid, Maylee has had me making drinks at her party. Something I'm good at. Besides, it's a good vantage point to watch people." He handed her another glass which Misty had to admit, did taste better.

"Can I hang out with you?" She asked.

Gary nodded, "Will you let me get you drunk?"

Misty laughed, "No. But teach me how to make this second drink, it's really good."

An hour and two drinks later, Misty was starting to feel the effects. She had passed the fuzzy feeling she usually gets after 3 glasses of champagne and was laughing along with Gary.

She looked out at the party and found Ash standing in a group of people most of whom she recognized from many visits to Pallet Town and a few that she didn't. She absentmindedly wondered if one of the women was May, but Misty didn't even know what she looked like. One of them had dark brown hair like Gary, could that be her? But another girl was standing a little too close to him.

"Hey Gary, why haven't I met May?" she asked.

Gary gave her a strange look, "You haven't met May? That's weird, she's always around." He walked around to the other side of the counter and held out his hand, "Come on, I'll introduce you." Misty followed him over to the circle Ash was in.

"Hey," Ash smiled wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her, "Having fun?"

"Yeah, Gary's teaching me to be a bartender." She giggled. The girl standing next to Ash looked at Misty with interest. She had light brown hair that was streaked with golden highlights and perfect emerald green eyes. This girl had to be May. Misty felt her stomach sink, she was gorgeous, so pretty that even her sisters would be jealous. No wonder Ash had liked her, a perfect specimen of what a woman should look like. Small features, blemish free skin, and an hourglass figure.

"You must be Misty," she smiled holding her hand out to her, "I'm May, it's so great to finally meet you. Ash talks about you all the time." Misty's smile wavered, even her voice is perfect.

Gary's eyes darted from his sister to Misty curiously, "Hey Red, I can't leave my post for too long, people will sober up. You coming?"

Misty nodded breaking away from Ash and following Gary back into the kitchen.

"He likes you more," Gary whispered when they were alone.

"What?" She narrowed her eyes at him, surprised that she had been so transparent.

"She's good-looking, yes. It runs in the family. But she's dead behind the eyes."

"That's mean, besides, I'm not jealous. Why should I be? He's my boyfriend after all." Her eyes trailed back to Ash and May who were, indeed standing a little too close together.

"Misty?" She turned to look at Gary who was holding up two shot glasses, "Wanna play a game?"

Gary's game was simple, using a deck of cards the two played round after round of War and whoever won choose the loser's shot. It didn't take long before both parties were giggling uncontrollably and losing a grasp on the games' few rules.

"I'm pretty sure aces means tequila," Gary narrowed his eyes in thought.

Misty shook her head, "I think aces means I won and you're drinking..." she trailed off looking at the dwindling assortment of liquor, "this!" She grabbed a neon green bottle and poured it into the shot glass. Gary tipped his head back quickly and drained the glass, wincing as he set it down.

Misty laughed, "Don't be a baby, it's not that bad."

"Then you drink it!" He poured another shot and handed it to her. She hesitated only a second before drinking it all.

"You're right, that was horrible," she stuck out her tongue and the two erupted into laughter.

"What's going on in here?"

Gary looked at the doorway almost guiltily while Misty's expression brightened. Ash was staring at them looking slightly confused and May's lips were curled in a smirk.

"It almost looks like Gary is making a move on your girl," she continued, elbowing Ash's arm.

"Good luck," Ash laughed good-naturedly as he walked over to Misty and kissed her gently.

May went straight for the table and began pouring herself a drink, exchanging a few looks with Gary.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, keeping her eyes trained on Ash and Misty who were talking quietly.

"What am I doing? What are you doing? You're flirting hard," he accused.

"I'm not doing anything differently, this is how Ash and I have always acted."

"I know that," he grabbed her arm, forcing May to look at him. "But I've never seen it through her eyes. You just met her, May, and you are all over her boyfriend."

"And your plan to get her completely drunk and alone is your way of being Ash's friend?"

Gary rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Ash and Misty, "Maybe you should take her outside, fresh air would be good for her."


	6. Chapter 6

_Dee's eyes snapped open at the sound of something crying. It took her a few moments of checking her surroundings to figure out what the sound was, Gary. She had been up with him all night and as soon as he fell asleep she had closed her eyes for just a moment. But the rude awakening reminded her that she had somewhere to be. _

_She sat up slowly and reached down next to her, scooping the infant up and holding him against her chest._

"_Shh," she whispered, "It's ok, Gary. I've got you." On the other side of her, Maylee was sleeping peacefully, curled up in a ball and sucking on her thumb. Dee shifted Gary so that she could stroke the toddler's arm._

"_May," she sang softly, "Ready to go see Grandpa?" The little girl squeezed her eyes shut and curled up tighter prompting Dee to try again, this time getting her to open one eye._

"_Where's Mommy?" she asked rubbing her eyes and sitting up._

_Dee felt tears sting her eyes and she pulled her into a tight hug, "Mommy and Daddy had to go away, remember? But today you get to go home with Grandpa. I bet he's missed you, so much." Maylee nodded and smiled as she hopped off the bed and towards the door, "Why don't you go downstairs and find Gabe, if you ask him nicely, he'll brush your hair." the little girl ran out of the room and Dee heard her yelling for Gabe._

_Gary had fallen back to sleep but Dee was afraid to set him down in case he'd start crying again. She stood and walked into the bathroom. She looked like a mess, but that made sense because she felt like a mess. Her hair was dull and limp, her face pale, and she was thin except for her large stomach. Luckily, no one would be paying attention to her appearance today._

"_Gabe," she called as loudly as she dared, "Did May find you? We need to leave soon." She didn't wait for a response before starting to walk downstairs. "Gabe?" she tried again, but still nothing._

_She was almost at the bottom when Gary lifted his head and looked at her, she gave him the biggest smile she could conjure, "Hello, handsome! Are you awake now?" she was rewarded with a gummy grin and baby gurgle. Dee laughed in response, then it hit her that Anna and Isaac would never see him smile. They would never hear his first word, or scare Maylee's first boyfriend. Tears threatened to fall down her cheeks but she held them back, she needed to be strong for May and Gary, she may have lost her best friend but they lost their parents. And Professor Oak, who had lost his only child._

_She turned the corner into the kitchen and found May sitting at the table. "Did you find Gabe?" she asked, but the answer was obvious by looking at the girl's tangled hair. Dee sighed and set Gary in the bouncer on the floor before walking over to the suitcase next to the door. She pulled out a small hairbrush and walked over to May, carefully running it through her thick dirty blonde hair. _

"_Gabe! We have to leave, the memorial starts at three." she finished brushing and fixed the dark blue ribbon tied in May's hair. Sighing in irritation she stomped into the living room, "Gabe, what the-" _

_She froze in the doorway, he wasn't there. He hadn't been upstairs, or in the dining room and now the living room stood empty. Except for an envelope lying on the coffee table. Dee started to tremble as she walked into the room picking up the white paper and sliding her finger under the flap._

_**Dee,**_

_**I'm so sorry to leave like this. Professor Oak has had arrangements to travel to Sinnoh for months now, but with everything that has happened, obviously he couldn't make the trip himself. But the work he has to do, it's so important. I volunteered to go in his place, and he agreed. I know what you're thinking, but this is a quick trip, just a couple weeks. I'll be back in plenty of time to help bring our son into the world.**_

_**I couldn't tell you in person, I couldn't see the look on your face. I know you're disappointed in me but I'm trying really hard to be the sort of man that you deserve. A man that you can be proud to start a family with. **_

_**I just think some time apart would be good for us. We didn't anticipate being thrown into a family dynamic so soon and it's put a strain on our relationship. I know you've felt it too. How will I know how much I'll miss you, if we aren't separate for awhile?**_

_**I love you so much,**_

_**Gabe**_

_Dee inhaled deeply, folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope before turning and going back into the kitchen._

"_Come on, it's time to go," she smiled, picking Gary up and holding her hand out to May._

* * *

Ash and Gary sat silently on opposites sides of the small round kitchen table, Gary was reading the morning's paper and Ash nursed a cup of coffee and plate of toast. Both had something they wanted to say to the other but didn't really know how to start. Each would straighten up suddenly and open their mouths but then stop and go back to what they were doing.

Finally Ash spoke up, "That was weird, what May said last night."

Gary didn't look away from the paper when he responded, "What did May say?"

"She didn't really say it, just insinuated." Ash was still a little hesitant to actually ask, unsure if it was fear of the answer or Gary's wrath. The older boy still didn't set down the paper, but sighed in irritation.

"Do you have a thing for Misty?"

"Does it matter?"

Ash's patience was wearing thin, he shot his arm forward and knocked the paper down to the table. "Yes, it matters. Do you?"

"Yes. I find her attractive, is that what you're asking?" Ash didn't say anything so Gary leaned forward slightly "But May hinted that I was trying to take her from you, and I'm not. Misty is yours, she always has been even when she wasn't. Besides, I wouldn't do that to a friend."

Ash nodded slowly, "Thanks." Gary picked his paper back up, presuming that the conversation was over, "She had a dream about you once, well, once that she told me about."

"A dream?" Ash gave him a look over the top of the paper and Gary smirked, "Oh, a dream."

"Don't be so smug, it was just a dream."

"Then why did you bring it up?" Gary laughed. "Was it a particularly stellar dream?"

"I dunno, I guess she thinks about you too. I just wanted to know...that there wasn't going to be any competition."

Gary shook his head and sighed quietly, "You won't find competition in me. Trust me, Ash." He shook his newspaper back into it's stiff form and the men went silent again.

"You and Misty left May's almost an hour before I did," Gary said conversationally. "How is it that I ended up getting back to the lab before you?"

Ash's cheeks turned a little pink, "We took the scenic route."

Gary snorted from behind the paper, "Uh huh...I thought as much. You're welcome for getting your girlfriend wasted, you should probably also thank Maylee for making her jealous."

Ash joined in the laughter, "Yeah, thanks. I never realized how many hiding spots there are on this plantation."

"The townie girls and I have discovered some good ones. There's the rotting old cabin on the far west side, the cave behind the waterfall..."

"The lagoon-ish area next to the pond," Ash whispered absentmindedly.

"What?" Gary slammed down the paper, rattling the contents of the table.

Ash gave him a confused look, "Down by the pond, there's this place hidden by trees, if you climb into it it's like a natural room."

The older man slapped the younger with his paper, "That is my spot! That is where I go to relax and think and you've defiled it!"

"Are you kidding me?" Ash asked holding his hand up to block another attack with the newspaper.

"That. Is. My. Spot." Gary punctuated each word with a punch to Ash's arm. "Now every time I go there, I'll just see you...naked...I'm so mad right now."

"I'm sorry! I didn't realized it was spoken for," Ash rolled his eyes, "Why would you imagine me naked? Why not picture Misty?"

"Oh, trust me, I will. But then you'll show up and ruin everything."

Ash laughed, his eyes moving over to the doorway where Misty stood wearing a tank top and a pair of his boxers.

"I'm getting really tired of waking up by myself, only to find out that you're with Gary," she smiled walking into the room and sitting on Ash's lap. "If you two aren't careful, I'll start to suspect something is going on."

Her boyfriend scrunched up his nose and looked at his childhood friend, "If I left you, Mist, it would be for someone prettier than Gary."

"Please," Gary scoffed, "like you could get someone in my league. The only reason Misty likes you is because you caught her when she was still awkward looking."

Ash shrugged as Misty leaned down to kiss him, his hands traveled from his sides to her waist and she twisted a little to make her body face his.

"Get a room." Gary groaned opening the paper back up.

"I know a good spot, right next to the pond," Ash grinned as Misty's cheeks turned red.

"I hate you," Gary grumbled in response.

* * *

Ash and Misty walked quietly along the dirt road connecting the Ketchum house with Professor Oak's plantation. She turned her head slightly and watched him, the smallest hint of a smile played on his lips causing her stomach to constrict the way it always did.

Sometimes she couldn't believe that they were actually together. That he had called her up out of the blue three years ago and asked her out. That things had actually worked out and they were still together, he still chose her above everyone else. Misty felt a tiny pull of guilt, the same feeling she had had when she woke up that morning. As hard as she tried, she couldn't figure out what she felt guilty about.

Ash reached down and grabbed her hand, twisting his fingers among hers. She looked up and caught his eye with a smile as he pulled her close and kissed her. Misty moaned quietly, willing him to deepen the kiss but instead he pulled away with a wink.

"Such a tease," she laughed picking up the pace as they neared his house.

"Welcome back," Delia smiled from the garden, "how was the party?"

"Just as fun as always, pretty much everyone showed up," Ash leaned against the white picket fence.

Delia nodded and turned to Misty, "Did you have fun? You met May right?"

"Uh huh, briefly," the redhead replied. "I spent most of the night with Gary."

"I'm glad you're getting to know Ash's hometown friends better, maybe he'll come home more if he can see everyone at once." she straightened up suddenly, "Oh! I almost forgot. Ash, you got a letter today."

"A letter?" he frowned in confusion and walked past Misty and his mother into the kitchen. She always stacked the mail next to a catch-all dish by the back door. He found it quickly and walked back outside. "Dr. Frank Edgerton?" Ash rolled the unfamiliar name around in his head as he tore into the envelope. The women watched with interest as his eyes scanned the thick piece of cardstock.

When he finished reading, he looked up at Misty with a grin. "Hey, feel like going on an adventure?"

* * *

A/N: I should really just stop apologizing for how much time there is between updates. I promise, I'm working on this every chance I get, I just don't get a lot of chances. Hopefully this update didn't disappoint!


	7. Chapter 7

_Dee waddled up the last few stairs to the observation deck of Professor Oak's laboratory. She stopped to catch her breath as she reached the top, these last few weeks had been hard on her and she couldn't wait to not be pregnant anymore. She had even managed to push out of her mind the fact that if she wasn't pregnant, she'd be a mother, because that was another level of horror for her. Dee pushed herself away from the railing and walked into the large open room. It wasn't hard to understand why the professor did most of his work here, it was large enough that May and Gary could play under his watchful eye and the glass dome above their heads made you feel like you were outside._

_She noticed immediately that Professor Oak wasn't getting any work done, bouncing Gary on his knee, he sat at a tiny table and chairs wearing a paper crown and having a tea party with May. Dee couldn't help but giggle at the sight, a glimpse into the professor's new life that no one else got to see._

_He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly, "Look May, Dee is here. Should we invite her to the party?"_

"_You have to pick a crown," May nodded pouring 'tea' into another cup for Dee. She walked over to the wooden chest where May kept her dress-up clothes and selected a plastic tiara, settling it on her head before joining them at the table._

"_What kind of tea are we having today, ma'am?" She asked while making a face at Gary, causing him to squeal with delight. _

"_It's just apple juice, Dee. Grandpa won't let me have tea." Maylee said matter-of-factly as Dee and Professor Oak exchanged a glance. _

"_Of course, forgive me." Dee sipped out of her cup as May began to chatter about anything and everything that popped into her head._

"_Do you mind keeping them overnight tonight?" Professor Oak asked, "Between the two of them and trying to get my research in by the deadline, I'm running myself ragged."_

"_Of course," Dee smiled, "You just get your stuff done and get some sleep, I'm fine having them."_

_The professor winked at her, "Besides, I only have a couple more weeks before you won't want anything to do with them, and you'll have your own little guy to deal with."_

_She nodded but the mood had shifted, "Have you heard from Gabe?" she asked. It had been almost 3 months since she had found the note from him. Christmas had come and gone, now they sat in that end of winter freeze. Dee knew it was coming, he had yet to contact her in anyway but Professor Oak said he had heard from him a couple times. She knew that the day would come when no one heard from him at all. She knew it the second she saw that letter, she was alone._

"_Yeah, he left me a message saying that he was doing well, he asked about you and the baby," the older man caught the expression on Dee's face, "He'll be back, he's coming back."_

"_Yeah, I know," she smiled half-heartedly, "Well, Maylee, are you reading to come play at my house?"_

_The toddler leapt up from the table and started running toward the stairs, "Wait for me!" Dee called as she took Gary from the professor. "Just let me know when you're ready for them to come home." _

_Professor Samuel Oak heard the clatter of voices and feet as Dee wrestled to get everyone's coat on before taking them out into the frigid air. He could see them from his window, Gary resting on Dee's hip while May held her other hand. Once they were out of sight, he turned back to his desk, opening the manilla folder sitting in the center. He rubbed his hand on his temples and collapsed into the chair. Sliding his finger down the list he picked up the phone and started to dial._

"_Mauville Pokemon Center, how can I help you?" a cheerful voice answered._

"_Hello, this is Professor Oak, I was wondering if you could help me locate a trainer that I think might be in your area, his name it Gabe Michaels. Any information you can give me would be appreciated."_

"_I'm sorry, Professor, the name doesn't sound familiar at all. I can let you know if he checks in?" Joy replied._

"_That would be great, thank you for your help." He hung up the phone with a sigh and crossed that number off the list before moving on to the next one. He had been doing this for the last month and a half, when he had gotten tired of lying to Dee about hearing from Gabe. He didn't tell her the truth, that there was no mission in Sinnoh, but he was determined to find Gabe and convince him to come back home. Preferably before his son was born._

_Sam was jolted awake by the shrill ringing of the phone. It took him a second to figure out where he was. The sun had been replaced by a bright moon in a cloudless sky, when had it become so late?_

_He fumbled sleepily for the phone, "Hello?"_

"_Professor?" there was something in Dee's voice that snapped him to attention, "I think I need you to come get May and Gary."_

"_Of course, I'm on my way. Is everything ok?" he asked._

"_I think I'm in labor."_

_Dee screamed in pain as another contraction shook her to the core. They had gotten to the hospital too late for an epidural, and she wasn't handling the pain very well. She had already told the nurses twice that she decided against having a baby until one of them snapped back that she should have made that decision nine months ago. _

_Her whole body relaxed as the pain subsided but her hands maintained their grip on the sides of the bed. She found herself wishing that she had a hand to hold, any hand. Her mother, her sister or Gabe. Just someone beside her, helping her through this. But she was alone._

_Alone._

_With that one word, the impact hit her again and she started to cry. Her sobs drained the remaining energy and she slumped forward in exhaustion. _

"_Hello, Dee, how are mom and baby?" Dr Bishop was a gentle woman, but she had a habit of asking questions during the worst moments. Dee lifted her head up just enough to shoot the doctor a glare as she examined her._

"_It looks like we're about ready to get this little guy out," She smiled, "The bad news is, it's going to hurt a lot. The good news? It's going to be quick like a band-aid. Are you ready to start pushing?"_

_They told her nine hours was a quick labor, but it hadn't felt quick. It felt long and agonizing and in the end all she was left with was a baby. One of the nurses had left the infant in the plastic cradle next to Dee's bed along with a birth certificate to fill out. She had yet to pay much attention to either. The only time she held her son was after he had been cleaned up, and when the nurse had taught her how to feed him. Other than that he had been left in the crib._

_There was a quick knock on the door and Professor Oak stuck his head in, "Up for a few visitors?"_

_Her face lit up, "Yes! I've been dying to see someone other than a doctor or a nurse!"_

_The door opened wider revealing Gary and May, she welcomed the children with a laugh, pulling May up onto the hospital bed with her and reaching for Gary. Professor Oak walked over to the tiny crib containing the newborn and picked him up._

"_Look, May, this is..." he trailed off looking at Dee._

"_We never decided on a name," she shrugged in response, "I thought maybe Thomas after my father. But it doesn't feel right now."_

"_This is Dee's baby, isn't he cute?" _

_With her baby in the professor's arms, she took the time to actually look at him. He had a surprising amount of thick dark hair and light brown eyes that the nurses said would probably darken over time. Other than her eyes, he looked almost exactly like Gabe. Her heart stopped, how was she supposed to raise a baby that looked like him? A constant reminder of what she had lost._

"_Maybe I should name him Gabe Junior," she mused, still staring at the baby. _

_Professor Oak followed her gaze down and shook his head, "I think he looks more like you, in the eyes, and around the mouth."_

"_We should probably get going, let Mom and the little one sleep," He stood up and handed the newborn to Dee before scooping up Gary in one arm and May in the other. "I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow and bring you home."_

_Dee nodded, awkwardly holding her infant._

_Sam stopped as he reached the door, setting May down so that he could open it. "You know, when Isaac was born, my wife and I couldn't agree on a name for weeks. She eventually won out, always did." he looked down, suppressing a painful memory. "Said we could use my name for our second son."_

"_What was the name you chose?" Dee asked softly._

"_Asher, it means blessed." He smiled a little before taking May's hand and walking out of the room._

_She glanced down at her son and sighed. Pushing her knees up, she settled him in the crook between her legs and studied him. Blessed. Dee didn't feel very blessed at the moment. She felt cursed, cheated even. _

"_You've ruined everything," she accused. "I was supposed to be better than this. I was supposed to be someone. Or...the wife of someone at least. Your father is going to be someone very important." Dee was suddenly struck by a strange thought. _

"_And we were in the way of that, so he left. But that's his loss. You're brand new, no one knows who you are or who you will be. You could be someone very important. I chose you, six months ago, before I even knew that I was making a choice." _

_The baby stared back at her, Professor Oak was right, they did have the same eyes. He had Gabe's hair color but Dee's texture, straight and dark. _

"_Asher," she whispered, rolling the name around for a moment. She imagined herself calling it up the stairs and writing it on the back of school pictures. She imagined what he could be, a doctor, a politician, a CEO, or even something smaller. He could be someone important, someone who changed the world, and it was up to her to nurture him. To help him become a man, the sort of man that needed to exist, the sort that only he could be. Dee smiled, "Ash."_

* * *

**Mr Ash Ketchum,**

**News of your accomplishments in pokemon training has been pouring in for some time now. I know this is a bit unconventional, I would like to request you help in recovering an artifact for me. I'm afraid I can not release all of the information to you, in the event that you may refuse. However, I can promise that it will be an adventure worthy of a trainer of your caliber.**

**If you accept, please come to Cresting Tides, the luxury hotel in Fuschia City, where I can further brief you on the mission.**

**Regards,**

**Dr. Frank Edgerton**

Misty turned the card over in her hand and glanced at Ash as he watched tv.

"So you're going?" she asked scooting closer to him and resting her legs across his.

"I'd like to, it sounds fun." He shrugged not turning to look at her.

"And it doesn't worry you? That he won't tell you anything about it?"

He turned his head toward her, "Not really, I mean...he'll tell me eventually, and I've been in dangerous situations before. But I did say that I was going to spend the summer with you, so if you think it's a bad idea I won't go."

She smiled and leaned toward him, rewarding him with a soft kiss, "Have I told you that you're the best boyfriend?"

"I don't mind hearing it," he moved his hand to the back of her neck, locking her in the embrace.

"Ash," she whispered after a moment, "your mom."

"At the store." his other arm slid around her waist.

"Is this all you two do?" Another voice entered the room and the teens on the couch groaned.

"Why are you at my house?" Ash sighed glaring at Gary as he breezed through the living room carrying grocery bags.

"Well someone had to help Delia with the groceries, since her darling son was too busy feeling up tourists." Gary came back through the living room and out the front door. Misty laughed, separating herself from Ash as he stood and went to help outside.

Gary, Ash and Delia walked in together setting the bags down in the kitchen. Gary was the first one to join Misty on the couch, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I've decided to forgive you for having sex with Ash in my favorite spot," he smiled.

"You what?" she frowned.

"Ash told me all about it, but you were intoxicated, you're not at fault for anything," his expression was oddly serious.

"I'll never understand your relationship," she shook her head.

"He also told me, that you had a dream about me," he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, delighting when her face turned red. "How was I? Pretty great, right?"

"You're gross."

"What's this?" He asked suddenly, reaching toward the coffee table and picking up Ash's invitation.

"Some guy wants Ash to help him find an artifact," Misty shrugged.

"Ash? He's not an archeologist, he's barely an adult!" Gary laughed, "Hey, Ash! When are you leaving?"

"Huh?" The dark haired boy walked into the room.

"Grand adventure is calling, when will you answer?" Gary used his best movie trailer voice.

Ash smirked, "Whenever my girlfriend says it's ok."

"Oh," Misty groaned, "We can go to the luxury hotel in Fuschia City and I can lounge by the pool while you are off getting sweaty and dirty digging for some old junk."

Ash grinned and kissed her forehead, "Good, then we'll leave in the morning."

Ash pulled the blanket over Misty as she slept soundly on the couch before walking into the kitchen and joining his mom at the table.

"You two are so cute," she smiled pouring him a cup of tea and sliding it across the table.

His cheeks turned pink, "Thanks mom." They sat quietly, sipping tea and enjoying each other's company.

"Do you resent the fact that I travel?" He asked. It was a question that was always in the back of his mind but he had always been too afraid to ask her.

Delia snapped to attention, "Oh, Ash no! Don't ever think that. I miss you when you're gone, of course I do. But I've never once resented it."

"I just wasn't sure, you know, because of my father." His eyes drifted down to the table, unable to look at her.

His mother reached across the table and took his hand, "Ash, you have everything good from your father. There isn't a single thing about you that I don't like." He nodded and took a sip of his tea as Delia's eyes trailed over to Misty, still asleep on the couch.

"Do you ever wish I had told you more about him?" she asked quietly.

"Sometimes," Ash answered honestly. "But I know that you have a good reason for raising me the way you did. It's not like I had a bad childhood, I never felt like I was missing anything. Gary and May didn't have parents either."

"You've grown up so well, I couldn't be more proud of you." she smiled, "I'm glad we can talk about this, if you have any questions about anything..."

Ash shook his head, "I used to. I don't really need to know now. I mean, he's not part of my life or even yours. He's just a stranger." he stood and picked up his cup and the one in front of his mother, yawning softly. Delia listened as he quietly washed the tea cups and set them in the dish dryer. He walked back into the dining area and wrapped his arms around his mother.

"I should probably head to bed, we'll have to leave kinda early if we want to stop in Cerulean City and be in Fuschia in the next couple days."

"What time are you leaving?"

"Eight or so," he shrugged.

"I'll make breakfast," Delia smiled and kissed his forehead before walking upstairs to her room.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Holy I'm sorry this update took so long. I could ramble off a bunch of excuses but basically my life got in the way. I was only taking small amounts of time to write so the whole chapter took forever. Hopefully the next one will be faster, but honestly I can't promise that.

* * *

_Delia scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue, delighting when it resulted in her son's giggles. It didn't take her long to fall in love with her baby, with his dark hair and eyes; the way his whole face lit up when he smiled. _

_She glanced at the clock on the wall, only thirty minutes before people were coming over. _

"_Okay, Ash." She lifted him out of the high chair and balanced him on her hip as she bounced up the stairs toward his room. "It's time to get you dressed. Everyone is coming over for your party."_

_The infant gurgled happily in response and grabbed at a chunk of her hair. _

"_That's enough of that," she laughed setting him in the crib and pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She turned away from him and set herself to the task of pulling clothes out of his closet._

"_Ma!" came the shout from behind her and she turned around smiling. He had been saying his one word for the last month and a half. Delia had figured out pretty quickly that he didn't know what it was, he used it to get her attention. In his mind, 'Ma' was a way of getting her to stop whatever she was doing and look at him, usually with a small amount of fanfare._

"_Mama," she cooed back to him sliding the toddler sized polo shirt over his head and ruffling his hair back into place._

"_Mama." he mimicked her in a serious tone then broke into a grin, "Mama!"_

"_You're nothing but a tease," she sighed. Giggling, she lay him down and worked jeans over his wiggling legs._

"_Dee!" _

_She lifted Ash out of his crib just in time to hear May shriek from downstairs, "Looks like your friends are here." she smiled as she kissed Ash's cheek and started for the living room._

"_May, make sure you give the present to Delia before you run off," Professor Oak was saying as he set Gary on the floor. The toddler pushed himself up on his feet and tried unsuccessfully to chase after his older sister. Delia watched them with a laugh._

"_He's getting so fast," she shook her head setting Ash down and watched May fawn over him. "I don't want to think about the fact that Ash will be walking soon."_

"_You always dream about how much easier life will be when you don't have to carry them around anymore, but once they become mobile..." Sam trailed off with a laugh. _

"_Dee, this is for Ash." May appeared between them holding up a large gift bag._

"_Thank you, darling. We'll let him open it a little later, when everyone else gets here." she set the bag on the dining room table as May ran back over to the boys._

_Professor Oak was digging in the pocket of his jacket mumbling to himself when she turned back to him. "Are you okay?" she asked._

"_This," he produced a small velvet box and handed it to her, "is for you."_

"_Oh! You didn't have to get me anything, it's Ash's birthday." she breathed taking the gift gingerly from him._

"_This day is more for you than him anyway, and I wanted to give you a token of my appreciation. For everything you've done for the kids and I in the last year." _

_Delia opened the box slowly to reveal a small gold heart-shaped locket. She opened the clasp and saw a picture of May and Gary on the left and Ash as an infant on the right. "It's beautiful, but Professor you really shouldn't have." she whispered._

"_How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sam?" he smiled._

"_Sam, I'll never get used to that." Delia turned her attention to the front door as a few more of the young mothers in town arrived with their children._

_It had been a year since Delia had become a mother. Three hundred and sixty-five days. She hadn't spoken to Gabe in four hundred and sixty-three; on day one hundred and four Professor Oak had confessed that he had no idea where he was and Delia told him that she knew._

_She missed him, obviously, but she couldn't imagine her life without Ash. And she couldn't imagine her old life with him. Two am feedings weren't made for traveling by foot and living out of a tent. You couldn't rock a baby to sleep on the sidelines of a gym battle. If training was this important to Gabe, she was fine letting him go. The only regret was that Ash would never know his father, and he looked so much like him._

_When the party was over and everyone had gone home, Delia put Ash to bed upstairs and then settled back down at the kitchen table with her journal._

**_Ash turned one today!_**

**_I still can't believe it's been a whole year since I brought that tiny baby into the world. I was a different person then, so scared and angry. I didn't know how to be a mother, I still don't know. But I'm learning. Day by day I get a little better, I hope. _**

**_I wish you could have stuck around. Ash is everything to me, but I feel like I had to give up my life to have him. _**

**_I haven't spoken to my parents, none of my old friends have attempted to contact me. _**

**_And then you left. And a part of me is still mad at you for promising that you'd stay and breaking it. But mostly, I feel sorry for you. You don't get to know Ash. He's getting bigger every second. Growing into a person. He has the biggest personality I've ever seen. He's constantly smiling and laughing and learning everyday. _**

_She didn't write anymore, she didn't have to. These letters would never make it to Gabe, but writing them out made it easier to ignore the anger and hurt. She closed the notebook and set it back on the bookshelf, leaving any and all feelings about Gabe inside it._

* * *

Misty was no longer surprised to see Gary in the Ketchum household. So when she and Ash made their way downstairs before leaving for Fuschia Town, she barely glanced at him sitting at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked pointing at his childhood friend.

"How else am I supposed to eat? Do you think May feeds me? I wouldn't trust anything she handed me," Gary shook his head and grabbed a strip of bacon off the serving plate.

"What about your grandfather?" Ash sat down and Misty moved to the opposite side of the table next to Gary.

"He's a very busy and very important man. And you expect him to drop all of that important research to make breakfast for his adult grandson? Shame on you."

Misty giggled as Ash shot her a look, "Don't encourage him."

"So, Misty, you're about to strap on the old sneakers and suspenders and follow your boyfriend around on deadly adventures. Feel good about that decision?" Gary asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh god, the suspenders are going to stay at home this time." she laughed.

"Probably a good choice." he nodded seriously.

"What about you Gary, are you going to stay home for the summer?"

Gary sighed wistfully, "I think I'll see where the wind takes me. Maybe Gramps has some field work he's too old to do or whatever. I could also hit up the beach at Vermillion, take in some of the locals if you know what I mean."

Misty rolled her eyes and Ash chuckled, "We know what you mean. Don't you think it would be nicer if you had a girlfriend? Someone who was always there for you at the end of the day?"

"They are nice," Ash added.

"I can't be a one woman man, Misty, it would be selfish of me." he grinned. "Besides, girlfriends have expectations and expectations are something I cannot live up to."

"That's why you get an easy-going one, like mine." Ash smiled.

"Yes, I've learned to expect absolutely nothing," she mumbled as Gary placed his arm on the back of her chair.

"Maybe you should be my girlfriend then."

"Only if this dalliance with Ash doesn't work out," Misty laughed.

Ash opened his mouth to respond but shut it when Delia walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of hash browns, "I thought I heard that you two were up."

"Do you need any help in the kitchen, Dee?" Gary asked sweetly as he stood and took the plate from her.

"There are still a couple more platters to bring out, but all of the cooking is done." She smiled and started to turn back toward the kitchen.

"Uh-uh, sit down," Gary set the hash browns on the table and gestured to the empty chair next to Ash, "I'll get the rest of the food. Eat and enjoy your son's company before he flits off again."

"I'll help," Misty pushed her chair away from the table and walked through the swinging door to the kitchen.

"Hey," Gary said quietly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Misty gave him a strange look.

He nodded and picked up one of the platters, handing it to Misty before grabbing the second one for himself. She watched him curiously as he brushed past her and walked back out into the dining room.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she whispered aloud shaking her head.


End file.
